In the chase for Los Angeles, the Raiders were the biggest losers.
The Raiders won’t have the option to relocate to L.A. until after the Chargers decided how they intend to move forward as a franchise. And in the meantime, the Raiders will potentially have to go back to playing games in the stadium/sewage depository known as the Oakland Coliseum.
The Raiders released a statement Tuesday night with a certain word (purposefully?) omitted.
“The Raiders congratulate Stan Kroenke and the Rams on their successful bid for relocation to Los Angeles. The Raiders will now turn our attention to exploring all options to find a permanent stadium solution. We thank fans throughout the Raider Nation for their unrivaled passion and support.”
The word missing in the statement is “Oakland.”
Whether it was an intentional omission or not, the Raiders are going to be in search of a stadium to franchise the team for the long-term, in Oakland or otherwise.
Raiders owner Mark Davis said after the decision that the team is still open to Oakland if a stadium arrangement can be struck. He also said the option of replacing the Rams in St. Louis “isn’t in our interest.” The place that may have the best shot is San Antonio, which the Raidershave previously explored as a potential destination.
Davis said the Raiders do not have a lease with the Oakland Coliseum at this point, so he said all options are on the table for the franchise moving forward.